Systems and methods for automated rental management

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for automated vacation rental management via a website configured to allow property owners to be able to list their home or unit and information about the home or unit on the site for users to view and book rentals. The system allows the home or unit owners to be able to administer their own pages that are listing their homes, e.g. by editing their profile, rates, etc. Users are able to search by location and book times to stay at the vacation home, without interaction with the owner. The system enables automated management of the vacation property, via online payment of deposits and rental fees, automated updating of booking calendars, and automated communication between renters, cleaners, owners and any other entities associated with the process.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/804,212, filed on Jul. 16, 2010 and herein incorporated by referencein its entirety, which claims priority from U.S. provisional applicationSer. No. 61/271,071, filed on Jul. 16, 2009, also herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND Field of the Description

The present description relates generally to systems and methods forautomatic management of vacation rental properties. More particularly,the description is directed to systems and methods for providing awebsite that automates the rental process for property owners andprospective renters.

Description of the Background Art

Web-based vacation rental services provide a convenient platform forvacation/home owners to list their properties. However, these sites,e.g. vrbo.com or the like, typically require owners to manually handletransactions with renters and potential renters. For example, a typicaltransaction requires a potential renter to contact the owner via contactinformation available on the website, send/charge some form of paymentwith the owner, wherein the owner then manually updates the availabilitycalendar on the website. This above process is cumbersome and timeconsuming for both the renter, who often must verify that the calendaris up to date because the process often leads to inaccurate availabilitylistings, and the owner, who is subjected to numerous correspondence andphone calls from inquiries that may or may not be legitimate or serious.

In addition, while users can search for properties fitting withincertain criteria, e.g. rental rate, current rental services do notcorrelate this information with respect to calendar dates. Becauserental rates are often a function of timing (e.g. season, holidays,weekends, etc.), user searches often pull up properties that may be outof the user's price range for a desired period of time.

Accordingly, an object of the present description is to provide aweb-based platform that automates the rental process between propertyowners and prospective renters to streamline the listing and rentalprocess. Another object is a rental web interface that allows users tosearch attributes regarding properties with respect to a given daterange. At least some of these objectives will be met in the followingdescription

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present description includes systems and methods for automatedvacation rental management via a website configured to allow people whoown a vacation home, condo, hotel or other property to be able to listtheir home or unit and information about the home or unit on the sitefor users to view and book a time to stay that is available. The systemallows the home or unit owners to be able to administer their own pagesthat are listing their homes, e.g. by editing their profile, rates, etc.The system allows users to search for vacation homes that are within thedatabase placed on the site by the home owners. Users are able to searchby location and book times to stay at the vacation home, withoutinteraction with the owner. The system enables automated management ofthe vacation property, via online payment of deposits and rental fees,automated updating of booking calendars, and automated communicationbetween renters, cleaners, owners and any other entities associated withthe process.

The present description provides an automated management websiteconfigured to enable private and small business owners of homes, condos,and multi-unit properties to book to book their properties on-line. Thesystem includes a private web page for each specific owner, andautomated payment with sites such as Paypal, Authorize.net, etc. thattriggers, upon approval, automated e-mail, texting or other notificationto entities specified by the owner, such as the owner's email address,management, maid service. Thus an auto confirmation of the transactionis sent to the owner to streamline time for owners. The system allowsfor automated choice of time related pricing and length of stay minimumsper choice of each individual manager or owner of the property. Thesystem includes a website page that has a description of property withthe pictures and automated bill pay and calendar that is also automatedand linked to bookings, wherein the webpage streamlines the process forthe renter and owner and makes transaction automated to save time.

An aspect of the present description is a system for automatic updatingof a rental property listing, comprising: a server comprising a databaseconfigured to store one or more data fields relating to the propertylisting; software executable on said server for carrying out the stepsof: providing a graphical user interface for the property listing, thegraphical user interface containing data populated from one or more datafields in said database; wherein the graphical user interface comprisesa calendar represented by a plurality of visual entities, each of saidvisual entities corresponding to a date on said calendar; automaticallyreceiving notification regarding a payment received for booking a rentaldate with respect to at least one of said visual entities; andautomatically updating a characteristic of said visual entity based onsaid notification; wherein said characteristic indicates that theproperty listing is unavailable for future booking on a date related tosaid visual entity.

In one embodiment of the current aspect, the system further comprises:providing a plurality of graphical user interfaces relating toindividual property listings, each property listing being owned bydistinct separate owners; wherein each of said graphical user interfacescomprises said calendar; said calendar relating individually to eachindividual listing; wherein the server is coupled to a network such thata plurality of users may view said property listings; and wherein a usermay select one or more of said visual entities for booking one or moredates associated with a selected property listing; securing payment fromsaid user with respect to said one or more dates; receiving notificationwith respect to confirmation of said payment; correlating saidnotification to the selected property listing; and automaticallyupdating a characteristic of said visual entity of the selected propertylisting; wherein said characteristic indicates that the selectedproperty listing is unavailable for future

In another embodiment, securing payment from said user comprises:sending payment data to a payment gateway; requesting approval for saidpayment data; and wherein receiving notification comprises receiving anotification of confirmation of said payment from said payment gateway.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises: providing fieldsfor an owner to upload data relating to said property listing; andcorrelating said uploaded data to said one or more visual entities.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein said datacomprises a rental rate associated with said listing.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein said datais visually represented on at least one of said plurality of visualentities.

In another embodiment, the data comprises one or more of saiddescription of property, pictures, and contact data to website.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises automaticallysending an email to one or more recipients based on said notification.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises automaticallysending an email to user based on said notification; said emailcomprising a lease agreement related to said listing.

Another aspect is a method for automatic updating of a rental propertylisting, comprising: executing software on a server comprising adatabase configured to store one or more data fields relating to theproperty listing; wherein executing the software comprises carrying outthe steps of: providing a graphical user interface for the propertylisting, the graphical user interface containing data populated from oneor more data fields in said database; wherein the graphical userinterface comprises a calendar represented by a plurality of visualentities, each of said visual entities corresponding to a date on saidcalendar; automatically receiving notification regarding a paymentreceived for booking a rental date with respect to at least one of saidvisual entities; and automatically updating a characteristic of saidvisual entity based on said notification; wherein said characteristicindicates that the property listing is unavailable for future booking ona date related to said visual entity.

Another aspect is a system for automated management of a rental propertylisting, comprising: a server comprising a database configured to storeone or more data fields relating to the property listing; softwareexecutable on said server for carrying out the steps of: providing agraphical user interface for the property listing, the graphical userinterface containing data populated from one or more data fields in saiddatabase; wherein the graphical user interface comprises a calendarrepresented by a plurality of visual entities, each of said visualentities corresponding to a date on said calendar; providing fields foran owner to upload data relating to said property listing; correlatingsaid uploaded data to said one or more visual entities; wherein saiddata comprises a rental rate associated with said date of said listing;and searching said database with respect to said rental rate and saiddate.

Further aspects of the description will be brought out in the followingportions of the specification, wherein the detailed description is forthe purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the descriptionwithout placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system for automated listing and rentalof property in accordance with the present description.

FIG. 2 is a screen view of an exemplary front web page of the userinterface of the present description.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the application software for performingautomated property management in accordance with the presentdescription.

FIG. 4 is a screen view of a property listing building/editing module inaccordance with the present description.

FIG. 5 is a screen view of a property listing building/editing modulefor amenities in accordance with the present description.

FIG. 6 is a screen view of a photo uploader for a building/editingmodule in accordance with the present description.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of database for performing automated propertymanagement in accordance with the present description.

FIG. 8 is a screen view of a calendar building/editing module inaccordance with the present description.

FIG. 9 is a screen view of a populated property listing page inaccordance with the present description.

FIG. 10 is a screen view of an advanced search module in accordance withthe present description.

FIG. 11 is a screen view of an automated booking module in accordancewith the present description

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a method for performing automated propertymanagement in accordance with the present description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various aspects of the description will bedescribed. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations anddetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe present description. However, it will also be apparent to oneskilled in the art that the present description may be practiced withoutthe specific details herein. Furthermore, well known features may beomitted or simplified in order not to obscure the present description.

FIG. 1 illustrates is a schematic view of a system 10 for automatedlisting and rental of property in accordance with the presentdescription. The system 10 provides a web page interface 15 for linkingover the Internet 18 any number of a plurality of owners 20, 22, 24 witha number of users 30, 32, 23 that are looking for or interested inrenting a property for a period of time. The owners 20, 22, 24 have oneor more properties that they are listing for rental. Central server 12comprises application software 16 that collects and gathers datarelating to the listed properties in database 14, and lists theproperties in individual web pages at interface 15 that are individuallyviewable and searchable by users 30, 32, and 34.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary front page 15 for an automated vacationrental in accordance with the present description. When the logo 40 isclicked from any page it will take the user to the home page as shown inFIG. 3. The page may comprise a user login 42, which allows a returningmember to log in to the site and once their ID and password issubmitted, take them to the member page. Property owner's 20, 22, 24 mayhave a specific page that allows them to update their listings orperform other actions on the site. General users 30 looking to rent mayalso register, such that the system 10 saves their contact, billing,address and other data that may be automatically populated forsubsequent rentals. To submit the ID and password the member can eitherhit the enter button or click the login button. If a user is not amember they will be able to click the “new user” registration button tobe brought to the registration form that replaces the middle area of thehome page. The user can also click the register button to be taken to aregistration page that will prompt them to fill out a form. The userwill also be able to check a box that will signify if they would like usto retain their credit card information for future use or to not savethe information if they so wish.

The page 15 may comprise categories in top menu bar 44 that direct theuser to various functions provided by the site. A left side menu bar 50may also comprise a series of link that forward the user to certainaspects of the site. For example, to start browsing listings, a user 30may simply hit the “properties” button.

The left menu bar 50 may also include a series of search fields 52 thatallow a user initiate a search by geographic area, or by the propertynumber in field 54 if they know it. The user may also perform anadvanced search, e.g. via menu option 56, to search via other criteria(e.g. rate, date/availability, amenities, etc.)

The top menu bar 44 may also have a series of static functions, e.g.“home” tab, which is a link that directs the user back to the home pagewhen clicked. The site is configured such that an administrator is ableto edit the content of the static pages by using a WYSIWYG tool oreditor. The “About Us” tab is generally a static page edited by theadministrator for details about the site. The “Contact Us” tab is astatic page that that may also be edited by the administrator. A“Tutorial” tab may also be included, which is a static page thatprovides instruction for owners or users. Additional features include a“Privacy Policy” link and “Terms and Conditions” link 72, both staticpages that may be edited by the administrator.

A rotating image 64 may be available to fade in/fade or otherwise rotateout a plurality of images. The administrator will have the ability toadd and remove images. Text may also be provided in this are notifyingusers of general or special announcements. The page 15 may also includea number of thumbnails 58, 60, 62, that direct the user to larger photosor pages associated with a particular property of interest, and whichmay be uploaded and edited by the administrator via site functionality.Images of “sponsored properties,” e.g. owners who pay special fee forextra exposure, may be programmed to pop up based on a variety ofcriteria, e.g. user's prior history or geographical search request, etc.

A “Newsletter Signup” field 66 may also be included, and this functionwould allow the user to put in their email address and submit that tothe database. The administrator may then be able to export thesubscriber list through the administration area and view in a CSV (commaseparator/spreadsheet) file.

A “Save to favorites” button 68 may be included to bring the user totheir browser's “add to favorite” function where they will be able tosave links to desired properties of interest.

The page may also include an “Email to a friend” button 70. When this isclicked, a pop-up window is launched that will prompt the user to entertheir name and email and the name/email of another friend/user, and edittext for the message. This function will also be on the product level aswell as the home page, so that it will send them the web address of thepage that they are on.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of application software 16 in accordancewith the present description. The software is configured to perform amethod 280 of managing a web-based rental property as shown in FIG. 12.The application software comprises, to a plurality of modules that allinterface with database 16 over server 12. For example, a data entrymodule 80 is provided for allowing a property owner 20 to enterinformation relating to the property being listed (e.g. text describingrooms, amenities, rates etc. and photos of the property) and userprofile information (e.g. contact info, billing info, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4, the data entry module 80 may comprise a plurality ofdata entry fields 112, 114, 116, and 118 that are disposed within one ormore screens 100 to aid the owner 20 in providing the propertydescriptors and also assigning field ID tags to the data for retrievaland page building/editing. This step is illustrated as uploading step282 in the method 280 of FIG. 12. Screen 100 would typically only beavailable after private login from the owner to the property listingpage. For example, the owner 20 would fill in fields 112 of location box102 to establish the location of the property. The owner 20 may alsoenter fields 114 detailing the number of bedrooms, baths, and number andtype of beds in the accommodations box 104. The owner 20 may furtherprovide a title and description of the property in fields 116 ofproperty descriptors box 106. In addition, the owner 20 would fill inthe personal information data fields 118 of profile information box 118that are specific to the owner. The data fields in profile box 118 getstored on database 14, but are generally not visible or retrievable tothe public. The personal information data fields 118 may include theowner's address, banking account number for receiving rental funds,credit card info for fees paid to site, and phone/email/contact info sothat alerts, notifications of rental, questions from users, etc. may bedirected to the owner.

The data entry screen 100 shown in FIG. 4, is illustrated for exemplarypurposes only, and may include additional entry fields or may be one ofa number of screens that allow the owner to sculpt their site listing tolook and have functionality tailored to their preferences. For example,the property owner 20 may be directed to add contact/communicationinformation (e.g. email, cell phone number, etc.) for automatic e-mailemail generation (or text generation via SMS etc.) upon booking. Contactinformation may be provided for client (property owner itself), propertymanager, house keeping, etc. For example, one can add an email addressso that an automated notification is sent to the cleaners of theproperty to notify them when the property is booked and needs to becleaned. Correspondingly, each email address provided will receive anemail detailing when a property has been booked and the arrival anddeparture dates for each booking.

As shown in FIG. 5, amenities can be entered in via a series ofcheck-box fields 122 in amenities box 120. Check boxes 124 are providedfor each of the amenities that are already stored in a database. Theproperty owner may then choose a check box next to each amenity thatcorresponds to their property. An extra form (not shown) may also beavailable for amenities not found in the database.

The system further provides a photo upload box 126 that enables theowner to upload one or more photos (along with photo descriptions) viafields 128. A picture may be chosen for selection as the large (primary)picture at top. Each property page 200 will have the images shown asuploaded by the owner, and all pictures may have an option to add ashort description with the image.

FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary relational tables of data fields stored indatabase 14. Each of the fields entered via data entry module 80 has acorresponding ID that assists in categorizing data for search andretrieval. All items are preferably stored within a singular database14, but generally will span several tables within said database 14. Theproperty listing table 142 holds the ‘root level’ data fields 144, suchas each property ID, and corresponding property owner, etc. Thatproperty ID is then utilized throughout the other tables in the databaseto link back to the property in question. The system 10 auto-assigns aproperty ID number that is used for each unique property URL. Thedatabase may also include a plurality of property tables 130 thatcontain the uploaded fields 132 for each website or property ID.Continuity tables may also be provided that cross reference two tables.

A calendar table 136 may be provided detailing fields 136 of availabledates and values, e.g. rates, minimum booking periods, color coding etc.The database 14 may also contain a transaction table 146 detailing datafields 148 relating to all transactions between users and owners. Inaddition, a user ID table 150 may be included in the database 14 havingfields 152 associated with registered and/or transacting users withinthe system 10.

Referring back to FIG. 3, page editing module 82 takes the data enteredfrom data entry module 80 and automatically populates and builds aunique web page for each property, as illustrated in populating step 284shown in method 280 FIG. 12. An exemplary page 200 is illustrated inFIG. 9, described in more detail below. Certain assigned fields in thedatabase 14 are automatically populated onto the URL webpage, whileother fields, e.g. owner's personal information, e.g. home, billingaddress, email address, phone number, billing info, etc., remain in thedatabase 14 hidden from the public to maintain user privacy.

The application 16 further comprises an interactive calendar module 84that allows the owners 20 to assign attributes (e.g. rates, minimumbooking days, etc.) to individual calendar dates, and allows users 30 toselect dates on the output property calendar for searching, automatedbooking and updating. It is appreciated that the calendar module 84 maybe integrated with data entry 80 and page editing 82 modules, and at thevery least is interactive with other modules, e.g. data entry 80, pageediting 82, and search query 86.

Much like the data entry page 100, the property owner 20, when buildingor updating their listing, may then be directed to a set of fields forentering calendar-based pricing, e.g. management of low, medium, andhigh season pricing schemes, as well as minimum booking days and otherdetails of importance to the property owner. The website may have presetvariable pricing schemes, e.g. Low, Med, High, Holiday, etc. seasonpricing that may also be limited to minimum stay periods. For example,if summer time is a one week minimum stay do to high traffic at thisperiod owner can pick this drop down for a one month or multi-monthperiod. The owner 20 may also pick numerous price ranges that can be putinto weekly or monthly periods that can begin and end for seasonalpricing. The system 10 may also include blocking out a period of timethat the property is being used by the owner for personal or propertymanagement purposes.

In a preferred embodiment detailed in FIG. 8, a visual calendarbuilding/editing system 190 may be provided, which includes aninteractive property calendar 160 comprising individual, selectable andeditable blocks 162 for each day in a given calendar period. The monthof July 2010 is chosen as the calendar period for illustrative purposes,however, weekly or yearly periods may also be chosen. To scroll throughmonths, the owner may select the “previous” button 192 to see June, orthe “next” button 194 to see August. Each property will show an‘Availability’ calendar (e.g. calendar 208 in FIG. 9). This calendar isconfigurable by the property owner 20 as the interactive propertycalendar 160, allowing the owner 20 to allocate which dates the propertyis or is not available, rates for holiday, high, medium and low periods,minimum booking, etc.

As shown in FIG. 8, the blocks 162 are aligned in rows corresponding tothe day of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.). Individual blocks162 can be linked to each other in a number of ways. As shown in FIG. 8,the calendar 160 may be configured with quadrants pertaining to datarelating to each date block 162. The lower right quadrant 164 representsthe actual calendar date, and is automatically populated via theapplication software 16. The upper right quadrant 166 represents minimumbooking periods. The owner may enter any number in this quadrant tospecify how many consecutive dates are required for rental on a periodcontaining that block 162. As shown in FIG. 8, the dates of July 2-4have a “3” in quadrant 166. This illustrates that the owner is requiringa minimum of a three night rental for any rental period falling on thedays of July 2-4. If a user 30 attempts to merely rent for Friday andSaturday night (two night rental For July 2^(nd) and 3^(rd)), the system10 will halt booking, and display a message that a three-night minimumis required for booking those dates. The user must then select July 1 ofJuly 4 to move forward with booking.

The upper left quadrant 168 represents the rate associated with thatblock. As shown in FIG. 8, the dates of July 1 through July 5 areassigned an “H” for “holiday” rate, with the remaining dates in themonth assigned a “P” for “peak” rate. If a user 30 selects the datesJuly 3^(rd) through 7^(th) for booking, the application 16 willautomatically compute two days at the “holiday” rate and two days at the“peak” rate for the total billing charge.

The lower left quadrant 169 represents blocked dates by the owner. Asshown in FIG. 8, the dates of July 29 through July 31 are assigned a “B”in quadrant 169, indicating that those dates are blocked by the owner20. A user 30 trying to select only one of the blocked dates will berejected by the system.

Editing the calendar 160 may be performed simply by selecting one ormore blocks 162. Blocks 162 may be selected via typical mouse-keyboardfunctionality (e.g. Shift-click, Crtl-click, or dragging cursor over arange of dates while holding the left click mouse button). When the user30 selects a date block 162, or range of date blocks (as shown in FIG. 8for the period of July 11 through 17, and as illustrated in selectingstep 286 shown in method 280 of FIG. 12.), the system shades the blocks(e.g. blue), and pulls the date range up in the editing box 170 (showingJuly 11 through 17 in field 172, which also may be entered viakeyboard). The user may then select a drop down for the rate at field174, minimum booking days in field 176, and whether the date is blockedin field 178. After selecting these fields, the blocks 162 are updatedin the calendar, and the calendar table 134 in database 14 is updated toreflect the values selected for the given dates.

The owner 20 may also edit the rates associated with each rate period.For example, rate editing block 180 may be provided such that the ownercan type in a value in fields 182, 184, 186, and 188 for “Holiday,”Peak,” “Standard,” and “Low” periods respectively. The number and namingof periods may also be edited by the owner 20.

In addition to the above values, other attributes may also be assignedto calendar date blocks 162. For example, the owner may specify that inintermediary “approval” step is required before any money is exchangedor dates booked. In this scenario, the owner could block a set of dates,or all dates, so that a user selecting a given date range and gettingpre authorized for credit card is placed on a “hold” while the systemsends an email or text to the owner notifying them of the pendingtransaction. The owner can then reply to the message, via a “yes”-“no,”designated pass code, or the like to approve the transaction to continuethrough the booking and billing process.

In addition, the owner 20 may specify a partial/total amount requiredfor reservation of particular dates. For example, “peak” season rentalsmay require full amount charged to reserve dates, and “low” season mayonly require half-down, or other deposit amount, to reserve. The balancemay set to be automatically billed (e.g. via on-line credit cardtransaction) at thirty days prior to (or other designated time) thearrival date of the renter.

It is also appreciated that the above quadrant scheme is one of manyways of illustrating/editing block dates 162. For example, color/patternshading with corresponding legends may be used to show different rateperiods, or different attributes assigned to the block 162.

FIG. 9 shows a view of a property listing web page 200 that is populatedfrom data entered into the database 14. Certain assigned fields fromdatabase 14 are automatically populated via the page editing module 82onto the URL webpage, while other fields (e.g. owner's personalinformation, e.g. home, billing address, email address, phone number,billing info, etc.) do not get populated.

As shown in FIG. 9, the web page 100 is populated by the page editingmodule 82 based on the field ID's with title 202, property ID 208, theuploaded pictures 204, location 210, accommodations 212, propertydescription 214, and amenities 216. The availability calendar 206 isalso provided in thumbnail view (clickable for larger view), andillustrates the attributes that have been entered by the owner, andshows shaded regions (e.g. red background with white text as opposed towhite background with black text for open dates) that indicate blocked,booked or otherwise unavailable dates.

The page editing module 82 also automatically populates a synopsis ofrates 218 based on the attributes assigned to dynamic calendar 160 andreflected in availability calendar 208 of page 200. Special rates 220may also be updated.

The page 200 may also be configured to populate other data, such as theforecast 222 for the location of the property. This data may be providedby a third party source, wherein a module of the application software 16automatically updates a table in database 14 based on a link to datafrom a third party source 94 (see FIG. 3), e.g. National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA), weather.com, or the like. This thirdparty data may be linked to the calendar dates, to provide otherfunctionality such as forecast or almanac-based property searching ofproperties.

Referring back to FIG. 3, a search query module 86 is provided whichallows a user 30 to browse through a list of available properties basedon criteria of interest to them. The search bar 52 in FIG. 2 provides a“quick-search” utility from any page on the site. Additionally, an“advanced search” box 230 may be used as illustrated in FIG. 10.Properties will be listed by area, and can also be searched for vialocation searching (box 232), rates (min/max rate fields 242, 244 in box240), dates/availability (arrival/departure date fields 246, 248 in box240), and a number of keyword criteria relating to the propertydescriptors provided by the listing owners.

For example, the user 30 may enter a number in any of the fields 238 ofthe accommodations box (e.g. sleeps at least 10), along with a max rateof $500 per night in field 242 for a specified upcoming weekend infields 246 and 248 and a given location in box 232 to find a propertythat meets all the above criteria. Because rate information is tied toactual date blocks in a searchable form, only dates meeting thethreshold rental rate for the specified period will be returned.

It is appreciated that any number of criteria may be provided in thesearch (e.g. ski-in-ski-out, lakefront, lake view, oceanfront, outdoorhot-tub, etc.) may be included as search field entries. In addition, thedates may be correlated to third party data from third party source 94to query for properties meeting a particular forecast or almanac (e.g.sunny, 80 deg min for a beach destination, or show forecast for a skiingdestination).

Referring back to FIG. 3, the application 16 includes a billing/bookingmodule 88 that integrates with the calendar module 84 and communicationmodule 90 to affect a transaction between an owner 20 and user 30 via athird party transaction service 92.

When a renter decides on a property, they are prompted to enter thecalendar dates for the time they wish to rent. As shown in FIG. 11, theuser will be able to click on any date in the expanded availabilitycalendar 250 that is available. This will be treated as their ‘startdate’ (e.g. dark shaded area, e.g. blue, in July 23^(rd) for one of thetwo selected blocks 252). Once a date has been selected, the user willable to select and ‘end date’, also by clicking another box theavailability calendar (e.g. dark shaded area for July 24^(th) for one ofthe two selected blocks 252). Entries from the main availabilitycalendar 250 will be placed into separate entry points on the page.

Once the user has selected two dates, they will be able to hit “enter”or select the ‘book now’ (not shown) option. After selecting the desiredrental period the calendar updates with blue background and black textto visually illustrate the prospective rental period. This only shows upto the current user, the data fields are held in a temporary bucketuntil receipt of payment is made. Once payment is made, the color isupdated to red for the visual calendar 250 and is viewable by all users.

The user 30 may then be presented with a login page (not shown) if theyare not already logged in. Options to register will also be available.Once a user has registered or logged in, they will be presented with ascreen 260 showing an overview of data fields 262, e.g. the propertyselected (e.g. the property description, location, and property ID), thedates they wish to book (e.g. July 23-24), and also a summary of cost,based on the prices set by the owner 20 and assigned to the date fields252. An algorithm automatically propagates this info based on previouslyentered fields from owner e.g. rental rate for each block on thecalendar, and temporary calendar period selected by the user. Otherfees, such as cleaning fee and charge that is calculated for taxspecific to area of rental transient occupancy tax will be added to thetotal. This calculating step is also illustrated in calculating step 288shown in method 280 of FIG. 12.

The user 30 may then be able to continue in the booking process. Thebilling information screen 270 having fields 272 may then be entered bythe user. If the user has been previously registered, some or all ofthis information may auto-populate for view and approval by the user 30.

If the user 30 chooses to book, they may be presented with a rentalagreement (not shown). The rental form with individual fields forrenter/owner specific information automatically pre-populated withdemographic information as supplied based on the stored fields for theuser 30 and owner 20 in database 14 (e.g. demographic information assupplied from the user 30 when they registered their account. Terms andconditions for rental will also be presented on this document).

Once the rental agreement has been filled in a check box type system(not shown) will be in place that the user must check before submittingthe form. This will ask the use to confirm they accept the terms andconditions laid out by the provided rental agreement, a copy will bestored in database 14 for later retrieval.

With the payment details entered and submitted in block 270, the cardwill be charged for the rental (partial or full), as illustrated insubmission step 290 shown in method 280 of FIG. 12. The card chargingprocess will be automated without any interaction by the user or owner.

Note that the owner 20 may have specified that he be prompted forauthorization prior to affecting a charge. In this scenario, thecommunication module 90 interfaces with the third party entity 92 topre-authorize the credit card and place the transaction on a “hold”while the system communication module 90 sends an email or text to theowner notifying them of the pending transaction. The owner can thenreply to the message, via a “yes”-“no,” designated pass code, or thelike to approve the transaction. Once received, the communication module90 commences charge of the card with the third party entity 92 tocontinue through the booking and billing process.

Credit card processing via third party transaction entity 92 will bedone in real time via the communications module 90, at the point wherethe renter submits the final rental agreements. Since it will be done inreal time, a transaction ID will be generated by the card processor 92,and transmitted back to the server. The authorization request sent bythe communications module 90 may contain the property ID of theproperty, along with rental dates, so that when the authorization isreceived back from the card processor 92 (e.g. email or likecommunication) it contains the dates and property ID that is readable bythe communications module 90. Once this transaction ID has beenreceived, along with a success code, the communications module 90 willbe able to link back the transaction ID to the rental that it is stillcurrently processing, and record all details together in the database.It is also appreciated that software 16 may comprise a module totransact the credit purchase locally, and not through a third party.Furthermore, said transaction may be made through a private labelentity.

After the card has been successfully charged, a ‘receipt’ (similar tothe booking confirmation box 260, with user's name) may be displayed onscreen. This will also be emailed to the renter, and owner.

In one embodiment, the property owner 20 may have specified for adeposit or partial or full payment to book a property for that date.Automated payment may be processed on-line through a third party entity90 such as Paypal or like provider provider or through the site withmonthly billing included with fee.

In another embodiment, all payments made through the website are donethrough authorize.net as the payment gateway. A site administrator mayto set up the fees and handle the payments for bookings to the propertyowners outside the site. When a payment is made through the site (e.g.via server 12), the credit card information of the user 30 is taken(e.g. making sure all numbers except last 4 digits are * out) and notsaving credit card information into database. Once the user submits theform for payment, e.g. via billing form 270, an API call will be made tothird party entity 92 authorize.net/payment gateway which will thenauthorize the credit card and if approved will capture the payment. Themoney will then be transferred into the administrator merchant accountthat the owner 20 has set up through authorize.net. If the card is notauthorized, a message will be displayed on the site letting the user 30know the reason the card was not accepted. This may be done through aSSL to ensure the site is secure. The security seal can then bedisplayed on the site provided by authorize.net.

When payment is accepted, notification is sent from the payment gatewayof entity 92 back to the server 12, as illustrated in notification step292 shown in method 280 of FIG. 12. The server 12 then starts anautomated process according to the setting saved in the database 14 thatwere entered in from the property owner 20. The calendar 206/250associated with the property is then updated by the system 10 to blockoff the dates requested by the user 30, as illustrated in updating step294 shown in method 280 of FIG. 12. Subsequent users will thenimmediately see a calendar showing the dates blocked off in as shaded(red) color, and will not be able to select blocks 252 that are nowshown as unavailable.

If the card is not charged successfully, a friendly error will bedisplayed, and allow them to provide alternate payment means (adifferent card). Calendar will remain blue for selected period.

After booking is created, one or more of e-mails may then generated bycommunication module 90 (according to settings provided of propertyowner 20 in data entry 80) and sent out to varies entities, asillustrated in notification step 296 shown in method 280 of FIG. 12. Forexample, a confirmation is sent to owner 20 and/or persons responsible,e.g. maid service or property manager to streamline dates that theoccupancy will be in use and needs attention. The owner 20 can thenlogin to the website, and view the transaction detail. The transactiondetail can be viewed from a list of all transactions for this property.Transactions will be listed in date order by default. They will be ableto at this time view the rental agreement to ensure everything has beencorrectly filled out. An email may also be sent with the owner's 20instruction for the rental, which may be timed to be sent a specifiedperiod before the rental period is to occur.

If the owner 20 has a lease agreement uploaded, that may automaticallybe included in the email to the user 30. The property owner may alsohave the option of using the fillable lease form provided by the system10.

The modules listed in FIG. 3 are illustrative of particular modules ofinterest in performing the system and methods of the presentdescription, but are not intended to be an exhaustive list of modules orfunctions performed. It is appreciated that a number of other functionsroutinely used in the art m, but are not intended to be an exhaustivelist of modules or functions performed. It is appreciated that a numberof other functions routinely used in the art may be implemented tooperate the system and website of the present description.

In one embodiment, a method of transacting a property rental inaccordance with the present description includes the steps of:

1) owner uploads description of property/pictures, and contact data towebsite.

2) owner sets calendar and pricing.

3) owner selects/modifies lease agreement.

4) software organizes uploaded data and displays on website for viewing

5) user views searchable set of owner listings.

6) user selects listing, views photos, calendar etc.

7) user selects dates on calendar, fills out lease form and renter infoform, and makes payment.

8) system automatically sends renter info to owner, blocks off dates oncalendar

The unique features of the system of the present description preferablyinclude the following: an automated calendar is linked with auto paybilling system and the calendar is filled after booking has occurred andowner has confirmed by e-mail through company or owner. Customers canuse a calendaring system to book rooms online. Administrators can setprices in back-end and indicate what level is needed dependant onseason, length of stay etc. The users may pay for property and thencheck that they agree to lease terms. The user is charged for rental andan authorization fee is pre-authorized to take care of any damages. Ifany amount needs to be charged, administrator can do it and the restwill just be released after the property is checked. Each property mayhave its own calendar that is updated automatically and each customercan set their own pricing and low, med and high seasons. The owner cansubscribe to place their properties into the system. The property ownerscan update pictures and property information through a secure Adminarea. The subscription system will auto-bill their credit card untilcanceled. The System will auto-assign a property id number that they canuse for their unique property URL like their own website. The user cansubscribe to place their properties into the system. Property owners canupdate pictures and property information through a secure Admin area.The subscription system will auto-bill their credit card until canceled.The system may auto-assign a property id number that they can use fortheir unique property, e.g. URL—Myvho.vom/user/5467. Once a rental isbooked the system sends an email notification to the cleaner andProperty Management so that property can be ready for guest's arrival.Administrator will be able to set the price for membership. Charge willbe to property owner when they sign up. Fees—Tax rates can beautomatically included for each property, Cleaning rates—flat rate,Weekly, Daily fees, etc. The system may have a browse feature that willhelp returning customer find rental property by Number feature. Websitemay also be used to search properties in areas that renters areinterested in: example Lake Tahoe CA or Tamarindo Costa Rica, and comeup with listing of properties that our currently linked to website. Thewebsite may have search engine capabilities for worldwide properties forand destinations.

Although the description above contains many details, these should notbe construed as limiting the scope of the description but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this description. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope ofthe present description fully encompasses other embodiments which maybecome obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of thepresent description is accordingly to be limited by nothing other thanthe appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular isnot intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, butrather “one or more.” All structural, chemical, and functionalequivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodimentthat are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expresslyincorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed bythe present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or methodto address each and every problem sought to be solved by the presentdescription, for it to be encompassed by the present claims.Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the presentdisclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless ofwhether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited inthe claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element isexpressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for automatic updating of a rentalproperty listing, comprising: a server comprising a database configuredto store one or more data fields relating to the property listing;software executable on said server for carrying out the steps of:providing a graphical user interface for the property listing, thegraphical user interface containing data populated from one or more datafields in said database; wherein the graphical user interface comprisesa calendar represented by a plurality of visual entities, each of saidvisual entities corresponding to a date on said calendar; automaticallyreceiving notification regarding a payment received for booking a rentaldate with respect to at least one of said visual entities; andautomatically updating a characteristic of said visual entity based onsaid notification; wherein said characteristic indicates that theproperty listing is unavailable for future booking on a date related tosaid visual entity.
 2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein thesystem further comprises: providing a plurality of graphical userinterfaces relating to individual property listings, each propertylisting being owned by distinct separate owners; wherein each of saidgraphical user interfaces comprises said calendar; said calendarrelating individually to each individual listing; wherein server iscoupled to a network such that a plurality of users may view saidproperty listings; and wherein a user may select one or more of saidvisual entities for booking one or more dates associated with a selectedproperty listing; securing payment from said user with respect to saidone or more dates; receiving notification with respect to confirmationof said payment; correlating said notification to the selected propertylisting; and automatically updating a characteristic of said visualentity of the selected property listing; wherein said characteristicindicates that the selected property listing is unavailable for future3. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein securing payment from saiduser comprises: sending payment data to a payment gateway; requestingapproval for said payment data; and wherein receiving notificationcomprises receiving a notification of confirmation of said payment fromsaid payment gateway.
 4. A system as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising: providing fields for an owner to upload data relating tosaid property listing; and correlating said uploaded data to said one ormore visual entities.
 5. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein saiddata comprises a rental rate associated with said listing.
 6. A systemas recited in claim 5, wherein said data is visually represented on atleast one of said plurality of visual entities.
 7. A system as recitedin claim 6, said data comprises one or more of said description ofproperty, pictures, and contact data to website.
 8. A system as recitedin claim 1, further comprising: automatically sending an email to one ormore recipients based on said notification.
 9. A system as recited inclaim 1, further comprising: automatically sending an email to userbased on said notification; said email comprising a lease agreementrelated to said listing.
 10. A method for automatic updating of a rentalproperty listing, comprising: executing software on a server comprisinga database configured to store one or more data fields relating to theproperty listing; wherein executing the software comprises carrying outthe steps of: providing a graphical user interface for the propertylisting, the graphical user interface containing data populated from oneor more data fields in said database; wherein the graphical userinterface comprises a calendar represented by a plurality of visualentities, each of said visual entities corresponding to a date on saidcalendar; automatically receiving notification regarding a paymentreceived for booking a rental date with respect to at least one of saidvisual entities; and automatically updating a characteristic of saidvisual entity based on said notification; wherein said characteristicindicates that the property listing is unavailable for future booking ona date related to said visual entity.
 11. A method as recited in claim10, wherein the system further comprises: providing a plurality ofgraphical user interfaces relating to individual property listings, eachproperty listing being owned by distinct separate owners; wherein eachof said graphical user interfaces comprises said calendar; said calendarrelating individually to each individual listing; wherein server iscoupled to a network such that a plurality of users may view saidproperty listings; and wherein a user may select one or more of saidvisual entities for booking one or more dates associated with a selectedproperty listing; securing payment from said user with respect to saidone or more dates; receiving notification with respect to confirmationof said payment; correlating said notification to the selected propertylisting; and automatically updating a characteristic of said visualentity of the selected property listing; wherein said characteristicindicates that the selected property listing is unavailable for future12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein securing payment from saiduser comprises: sending payment data to a payment gateway; requestingapproval for said payment data; and wherein receiving notificationcomprises receiving a notification of confirmation of said payment fromsaid payment gateway.
 13. A method as recited in claim 10, furthercomprising: providing fields for an owner to upload data relating tosaid property listing; and correlating said uploaded data to said one ormore visual entities.
 14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein saiddata comprises a rental rate associated with said listing.
 15. A methodas recited in claim 14, wherein said data is visually represented on atleast one of said plurality of visual entities.
 16. A method as recitedin claim 15, said data comprises one or more of said description ofproperty, pictures, and contact data to website.
 17. A method as recitedin claim 10, further comprising: automatically sending an email to oneor more recipients based on said notification.
 18. A method as recitedin claim 10, further comprising: automatically sending an email to userbased on said notification; said email comprising a lease agreementrelated to said listing.
 19. A system for automated management of arental property listing, comprising: a server comprising a databaseconfigured to store one or more data fields relating to the propertylisting; software executable on said server for carrying out the stepsof: providing a graphical user interface for the property listing, thegraphical user interface containing data populated from one or more datafields in said database; wherein the graphical user interface comprisesa calendar represented by a plurality of visual entities, each of saidvisual entities corresponding to a date on said calendar; providingfields for an owner to upload data relating to said property listing;correlating said uploaded data to said one or more visual entities.wherein said data comprises a rental rate associated with said date ofsaid listing; and searching said database with respect to said rentalrate and said date.
 20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein saiddata is visually represented on at least one of said plurality of visualentities.